New Zealand’s Rotorua was treated to some Pacific Nations Cup action on Saturday afternoon, with Fiji playing Samoa in the final round of pool play.
In a town known for its geysers, it was the Rotorua International Stadium crowd erupting as moments of classic Pasifika rugby played out on the field. The Samoans were fighting for 2027 Rugby World Cup qualification, and came out firing, but the reigning champion Fiji’s class came through as the game wore on.
The second half remained a one-score game until the dying moments, when Fiji extended their lead to 29-15. The Fijian win sees Tonga qualify for the 2027 Rugby World Cup.
Samoa’s carry game was powerful early, with Iakopo Petelo-Mapu damaging the Fijian line often. With that front-foot ball, Samoa used tactical kicks to pin Fiji deep in their own 22. Within three minutes of kick off, Pita Anae-Ah Sue claimed the first points of the game via Samoa’s driving maul.
That momentum continued for Samoa with another strong driving maul and set of hard carries before a knock-on gave Fiji a moment of relief. The ensuing scrum, however, ended with a penalty to Samoa, who claimed three more points.
With 10 minutes played, Fiji finally got their chance to attack in Samoa’s half. They used the width well and Samoa conceded two penalties, allowing Fiji to get closer and closer to the tryline. It was again a driving maul that finished the play, with Tevita Ikanivere claiming the try.
The scrums continued to be turbulent, and Fiji surrendered possession again with the third scrum of the game, which came after another rattling tackle from former All Black Seta Tamanivalu saw Samoa spill the ball.
Samoa tapped the ball, trusting their phase play. That trust was rewarded just four phases later, when some Melani Nanai magic broke the Fijian line and set Joel Lam away for a try.
From there, both teams had their chances with the ball in hand, but some big defensive plays from both sides stopped points from being scored.
Only on the cusp of halftime did the scoreboard get nudged forward, with Tamanivalu crashing over on a sharp angle close to the line. Halftime score: 15-12 to Samoa.
Samoa enforcer Taleni Seu was shown a yellow card for a no-arms tackle early in the second period, and as Fiji looked to open up play to exploit their advantage, the ball was plucked out of the air by Elisapeta Alofipo. The Samoan winger’s intercept ignited a lung-busting period of play.
Samoa held strong down a man, but just as Seu was set to re-enter the game, Fiji scored through Simione Kuruvoli, who collected a chip kick from flanker Etonia Waqa.
Veteran fullback Lolagi Visinia started to find his rhythm in the game for Samoa, but Fiji’s work at the breakdown denied Samoa time and time again, with timely steals making Samoa more desperate as the clock ticked closer to full-time.
With 73 minutes played, a tackle in the air by Samoa gave Fiji a chance to extend their lead to 10, but they couldn’t convert. Samoa couldn’t exit cleanly, though, and Fiji were back in possession, asking questions of the Samoan defence shortly after.
A 79th-minute try to Kemu Valetini was the icing on the cake for Fiji, who head into the semi-finals as the top seed from pool A. Final score: 29-15.